The present invention relates to the field of the cosmetic and microsurgical treatments. In particular, the present invention relates to a microdermabrasion apparatus and to the components making up the apparatus, operating by a pressurized flow of air and reducing substances, preferably corundum.
Several technical solutions to produce a microdermabrasion apparatus are already known, all comprising vacuum means and/or pressurizing means which send a flow of air and reducing substances on a tissue portion to be treated and then remove from that portion the abraded particles. A drawback of such systems is that the sterility of the various components is not guaranteed, without the use of complicated and expensive processes.
Italian patent application FI94A000131, which corresponds to U.S. application Ser. No. 08/496,470 and is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference, describes a dermabrasion apparatus operating by a flow of reducing substances. The apparatus comprises a compressor, a vacuum pump, and three detachable one-piece components. The components include a mixing bottle, a collecting bottle for the abraded particles and a handpiece to touch the tissue to be treated. These components are preferably made of glass or plastic material and can be easily sterilized.
However, potential drawbacks of such an apparatus include the fact that the air pressurization is performed by a compressor placed inside the apparatus, making it necessary to sterilize the air because, during treatment, the compressor could be infected by bacteria which would be afterwards conveyed on the patient""s skin by the pneumatic system. Furthermore, while the above-mentioned one-piece components are sterilized after the apparatus has been used, they do not guarantee proper sterility when the apparatus performs succeeding treatments on different patients. A further drawback is that contamination can occur when the mixing bottle is filled with new reducing substances or when the collecting bottle is cleaned of the abraded particles.
An object of the invention is to ensure the sterility of the apparatus components in all circumstances, for instance when sterilization methods, such as UV rays or an autoclave, are not available. A further object of the invention is to obtain easy replaceable, low cost apparatus components.
The present invention provides a microdermabrasion apparatus having disposable sterilized components which include easily interchangeable one-piece blocks. Such components include a filled mixing bottle containing the reducing substances (preferably corundum), a collecting bottle for the receiving the abraded tissue particles of a patient, and a handpiece for providing the reducing substances to the patient to cause skin tissue of the patient to abrade during the treatment of the patient. The handpiece, the mixing bottle and the collecting bottle are manufactured and sealed in a sterilized environment. According to an embodiment of the invention, the handpiece, the mixing bottle and the collecting bottle are made of plastic material, preferably polycarbonate, in order to reduce costs, and to make them particularly suitable for disposable use. After manufacturing, the components can be packed in sterilized packagings which include either a single component (e.g., one of the mixing bottle, the collecting bottle, and the handle) or a multi-component kit. In this way, contamination risks are reduced from the manufacturing through use of the components. In order to avoid contaminating the abraded tissue with particles of the handpiece material abraded in use, the portion of the handpiece most subjected to the abrasion effect is an abrasion-proof block made of a suitably hard material, for example glass or ceramic. According to a first embodiment of the invention, the source of pressurized air, or of another suitable gas, is constituted by at least one disposable bottle of sterilized pressurized air. In this way, sterility is guaranteed to the apparatus components exposed to contamination risks for each treatment. A further advantage is low cost of production for such components. In an alternate configuration, a compressor may be utilized instead of a pressurized air source to provide an air/reducing substances mixture to disposable, single-use components, but this configuration may introduce contaminants into the reducing substances/air mixture that is applied to the patient by way of the handle.
The above-mentioned objects and other advantages maybe achieved by a collecting bottle for use in dermabrasion. The collecting bottle includes a cylindrical housing having a top surface and a bottom surface. The collecting bottle also includes a suction tube disposed within the housing at a substantially central location within the housing. The collecting bottle further includes a supply tube disposed within the housing for providing an air/reducing substances/abraded tissue mixture into the housing. The supply tube has a top, bent portion that is disposed along an axis that is substantially tangential to an outer circumference of the housing.
The above-mentioned objects and other advantages may also be achieved by a dermabrasion treatment kit. The kit includes a handle for applying dermabrading materials to a patient. The kit further includes a mixing bottle for providing an air/reducing substances mixture to the handle. The kit also includes a collecting bottle for receiving the air/reducing substances mixture from the handle after the air/reducing substances mixture has been applied to the patient. The kit still further includes a tray for holding the mixing bottle and the collecting bottle in place. The mixing bottle and the collecting bottle are positioned on the tray in a same orientation.
The above-mentioned objects and other advantages may also be achieved by a dermabrasion apparatus. The apparatus includes a mono-block which comprises a mixing bottle and a handle, the mixing bottle providing an air/reducing substances mixture to the handle for application to a patient.
The above-mentioned objects and other advantages may also be achieved by device for applying an air/reducing substances mixture to a patient. The device includes a handle. The devices also includes supply tube connected to the handle for providing the air/reducing substances mixture to the handle. The device further includes a collection tube connected to the handle for receiving the air/reducing substances mixture from the handle, after the air/reducing substances mixture has been applied to a patient, and for outputting the air/reducing substances mixture to a collecting region. The device still further includes a holding element configured to hold the supply tube, the collection tube, and the handle in place.
The above-mentioned objects and other advantages may also be achieved by a handpiece for dermabrasion of a patient. The handpiece includes a supply side that provides an air/reducing substances mixture to a patients skin. The handpiece further includes an opening for making contact with the patient""s skin. The handpiece also includes a collecting side for receiving the air/reducing substances mixture and any abraded tissue from the patient after the air/reducing substances mixture has contacted the patient""s skin. The supply side is positioned at a different angle with respect to the opening than the collecting side.